Lehr, R. L.; Nielsen, J.; Andrews, S.; Milligan, M. (2001). Colorado Public Utility Commission’s Xcel Wind Decision. 12 pp.; NREL Report No. CP-500-30551. The paper is posted on the National Renewable Energy Laboratory web site (www.nrel.gov) at: http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy01osti/30551.pdf

Presented at AWEA’s WINDPOWER 2001 Conference Washington, D.C. June 4-7, 2001

In early 2001 the Colorado Public Utility Commission ordered Xcel Energy to undertake good faith negotiations for a wind plant as part of the utility’s integrated resource plan. This paper summarizes the key points of the PUC decision, which addressed the wind plant’s projected impact on generation cost and ancillary services. The PUC concluded that the wind plant would cost less than new gas-fired generation under reasonable gas cost projections.